Touch pad for swimming competitions

ABSTRACT

A touch pad for swimming competitions mounted on the finishing wall of a swimming pool, including a striker plate movable in a direction perpendicular to the finishing wall and compressible cables between the striker plate and finishing wall, an electric circuit being closed when a cable is compressed, and supporting means being located between the cables and the finishing wall for bridging irregularities of the finishing wall.

United States Patent 1 Degiez [1 1 3,745,275 [451 July 10,1973

1 1 TOUCH PAD FOR SWIMMING COMPETITIONS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: OMEGA Louis Brandt & Frere S.A., Berne, Switzerland [22] Filed: June 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 156,658

Louis Degiez, Nidau, Switzerland [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 7, 1970 Switzerland 10262/70 [52] US. Cl. 200/52 R, 200/86 R [51] Int. Cl. H011! 35/00 [58] Field of Search 200/52 R, 86, 86.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,590,181 6/1971 Baran 200/52 R l/1966 Parkinson ZOO/52 R 7/1970 Heimann 200/86 R Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott Attorney-imirie & Smiley 5 7 1 ABSTRACT 15 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 TOUCH PAD FOR SWIMMING COMPETITIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a touch pad for swimming competitions, the pad being mounted on the finishing wall of a swimming pool. The pad has a perforated striker plate which is mounted on the finishing wall with electric contacts between it and the wall, the contacts being normally separated, and make contact by the application of pressure to the striker plate.

In the touch pad disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,584,169, contact cables are detachably fixed to the rear surface of the touch pad and are in direct contact with the finish wall of the swimming pool. This embodiment has certain disadvantages. Practice shows that the pool walls are usually covered with unevenly laid ceramic tiles, thus producing a variation in sensitivity between various parts of the pad. But it is necessary to provide as uniform as possible a sensitivity over the whole surface of the pad. Again, known touch pads necessitate the location of fixing dowels in the finish wall of the pool below the surface of the water, which is very cumbersome and unsatisfactory. Moreover, such method of attachment does not lead to identical operating sensitivity over the whole surface of the pad. If a uniform and high sensitivity with quick response of the striker plate to hand pressure is obtained, it must be en'- sured that the disturbing influence of waves hasas little effect as possible. It has been found that the perforations of known striker plates do not conform satisfactorily to these conditions when using contact cables.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a contact pad which provides a high uniform sensitivity and also involves a simple assembly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finish wall of a swimming pool, the pad having a perforated striker plate between which and the finish wall an electric contact member is mounted, the conductors of which are normally separated but come into contact under the action of pressure between the striker plate and finish wall, there being a stiff or semi-rigid support between the contact member and the finish wall. This design eliminates local differences of sensitivity due to unevenness or irregularities of the finish wall which in extreme cases can lead to faulty indication. This permits the sensitivity of the device to be uniform, if not increased, and faulty operations to be substantially eliminated. The increase of sensitivity may be effected by perforating the striker plate with slots. In this case only narrow ribs remain between the slots, engage the contact cable whereby the minimum operating pressure is applied and hence the sensitivity is increased. Owing to the large total slot area relative to the plate surface, water is not trapped between the plate and the finish wall to resist movement of the plate and waves have an insignificant effect on the plate surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through the upper end and the mounting of the touch pad;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view on a smaller scale of a first assembly stage of the touch pad;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a touch pad in operative position;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show alternative forms of slot perforations; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of a touch pad.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The touch pad as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a striker plate 1 which may be of plastics material, loosely inserted in a frame including two lateral U- channels 2. The U-channels 2 are closed at the bottom by plates 3 which support the striker plate 1 at the two lower comers. The striker plate is perforated, preferably by a plurality of rows of slots 18, as shown in FIGS. 4 or 5; adjacent rows of slots, as shown in FIG. 5, may be offset relative to one another. Hence a considerable proportion of the plate surface is interrupted by perforations to eliminate reaction between the plate and water in the pool.

Horizontal supporting sections 4 are connected with the lateral U-channels 2, only the uppermost being shown in FIG. I. These supporting sections form a grating with the channels 2, which acts as a carrier for the active parts of the touch pad. The sections 4 each support a contact cable 5, such as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,584,169. The cable 5 comprises an insulating envelope enclosing substantially flat but slightly bowed contact strips 5a and 5b separated by a hollow space 5c and electrically insulated from each other by U-shaped insulating strips 5d and 5e. The sections 4 have a flat central portion substantially of the width of the contact cable 5, and lateral bracing ribs cradling the cable therebetween, the cable being second to the section 4 as by cementing. Each supporting section and the associated contact member are enclosed in a resilient insulating sheath 6 which holds them together. The cables 5 are flat sides, one of which is disposed in the sections 4 and the other of which faces the striker plate 1 with a protruding rib 7 engaging the plate so that pressure on the striker plate 1 is transmitted to the region of the conductors of the contact member.

The upper ends of the frame or U-channels 2 are connected to a holder 8 which projects over and beyond the edge of the swimming pool behind the finish wall 9, where the holder is anchored on an assembly plate 10 dowelled from above to the edge of the pool by means of screws 10', FIGS. 2 and 3. The holders 8 are provided with longitudinal slots 8' through which screws 1 1', first to the assembly plate 10, to which the holders can be secured in optionally selectable positions, such as with the grill 2,4 engaged with the wall 9 by a knurled nut 11.

As indicated in FIG. 2, the holders 8 are resilient and formed at an acute angle so that the frame or channels 2 are retained flat against the finish wall 9 when the holder is bent to a right angle, FIG. 3.

To mount the touch pad, as indicated in FIG. 2, each grating with the holder 8 in an untensioned state is placed on the edge of the pool or onto the assembly plate 10, with a fasteneing screw 11 engaging in its extending through a longitudinal slot 8. Then the striker plate 1 is inserted from above into the guide formed by the lateral channels 2. Finaly, the holder 8 is drawn into the position shown in FIG. 3 and the nut 11 screwed tight, the connection between the holder 8 and the channels 2 being deformed so that the channels 2 are pressed against the finish wall 9 of the pool. The touch pad therefore fits snugly against the finish wall without being directly fastened thereto.

One assembly plate is mounted between two tracks of each path of the swimming pool, on a holder 12, the above-described contact cable being located as shown.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the grating is not anchored on the edge of the pool but in an overflow channel 13. Hooks 14 connected to channels 2 engage in the overflow channel 13 and hence press the touch pad against the finish wall 9 of the pool. A holder 15 for the contact cable 5, which is located above the edge of the pool, is in this case connected to the frame or channels 2.

Further alternative embodiments are possible, whereby e.g. contact members of alternative crosssections can be used. The supporting sections 4 may be displaceably mounted on the striker plate 1, and the plate in turn may be displaceably suspended. The channels 2 may then be omitted.

What we claim is:

l. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finishing wall of a swimming pool, comprising a single perforated striker plate between which and the finishing wall at least one electric contact cable is mounted, said cable comprising a pair of conductors which are normally separated but come into contact under the action of pressure between the striker plate and finishing wall, a semi-rigid supporting section for said contact cable between the contact cable and the finishing wall, and a water impervious sheath enclosing said conductors to preclude short circuiting thereof when immersed in a pool.

2. A' touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which a supporting channel is mounted between each contact cable and the finishing wall.

3. A touch pad as claimed in claim 2, in which the supporting channels each have a flat central part of a width at least equal to the flat contact cables, and bracing lateral ribs the height of which are less than that of the contact cables.

4. A touch pad as claimed in claim 2, in which said sheath is resilient and envelopes each supporting channel and the associated contact cable and holds them together.

5. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which the touch pad is provided with vertical slot perforations.

6. A touch pad as claimed in claim 5, in which the adjacent perforations are vertically offset.

7. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which each contact cable is provided with a 'rib on its side facing the striker plate by means of which pressure on the striker plate is transmitted to the cable contacts.

8. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finish wall of a swimming pool,

the pad having supporting members connected to lateral carriers to form a grating, means for fixing said grating to said finish wall, a perforated striker plate loosely inserted into guide means of said lateral carriers for displacement in a direction perpendicular to said finish wall, and contact cables mounted on said supporting channels between said striker plates and said finish wall, said cables enclosing conductors which normally are separated from each other but adapted to come into contact with each other under the action of pressure excerted onto the contact cables by said striker plate when the same is moved towards said fin ish wall.

9. A touch pad as claimed in claim 8, in which the carriers are formed as guides such as U-shaped rails for the lateral edges of the striker plate.

10. A touch pad as claimed in claim 9, in which the carriers are provided with holders engaging in an overflow channel of the pool.

11. A touch pad as claimed in claim 8, in which the striker plate is retained in said lateral carriers with clearance at right angles to the plane of the finish wall, the lower corners of said striker plate being supported at the lower ends of said lateral carriers and the striker plate being mounted for removal from said carriers upwardly.

12. A touch pad as claimed in claim 11, in which the carriers are provided with holders engaging over the pool edge behind the finish area where they are anchored.

13. A touch pad as claimed in claim 12, in which the holders and carriers together form an elastically deformable system, which in the mounted state is elastically tensioned such that the carriers are retained in contact with the finish wall.

14. A touch pad as claimed in claim 13, in which the holders are screwed to holding plates which are mounted on the edge of the pool.

15. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finish wall of a swimming pool, comprising a perforated striker plate mounted in lateral carrier means for limited displacement in a direction perpendicular to said finish wall, switch means supported by said carrier means in contact with the rear surface of said striker plate for actuation by said plate, holding means on said lateral carrier means, said holding means being adapted to engage over the pool edge behind the finish wall for anchorage, said carrier and holding means being angularly disposed so that in an initial unloaded state of said pad a fist angle is formed between therebetween and in a mounted state of said pad the angle formed between said carrier means and holding means is changed by prestress and elastic deformation, the carrier means being thereby urged against and retained in close contact with the finish UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 a7 l-5: 75 Dated July 10 973 Inventor(s) Louis Degiez It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

- On the cover sheet, in the heading, itemfigj the Assignee s address should read as follows:

-- Bienne, Switzerland This certificate supersedes the Certificate of Correction issued December 11, 1973;

Signed and sealed, this 18th day of June 197A.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer FORM P0405) USCOMM'DC wan-Pea .5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE l9" 'li-3$4y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,7LT5,275 Dated uly 1 1973 Inventor(s) Louis 8 62 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

- On the cover sheet, in the heading, itemf'fj] the Assignee's address should read as follows: 7

- Bienne, Switzerland This certificate supersedesthe Certificate of Correction issued December 11', 1973 Signed and sealed. this 18th day of June 197L (SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer FORM po'wso ($69) uscoMM-Dc 60876-F'69 ".5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE Z I." l-:-, 

1. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finishing wall of a swimming pool, comprising a single perforated striker plate between which and the finishing wall at least one electric contact cable is mounted, said cable comprising a pair of conductors which are normally separated but come into contact under the action of pressure between the striker plate and finishing wall, a semi-rigid supporting section for said contact cable between the contact cable and the finishing wall, and a water impervious sheath enclosing said conductors to preclude short circuiting thereof when immersed in a pool.
 2. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which a supporting channel is mounted between each contact cable and the finishing wall.
 3. A touch pad as claimed in claim 2, in which the supporting channels each have a flat central part of a width at least equal to the flat contact cables, and bracing lateral ribs the height of which are less than that of the contact cables.
 4. A touch pad as claimed in claim 2, in which said sheath is resilient and envelopes each supporting channel and the associated contact cable and holds them together.
 5. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which the touch pad is provided with vertical slot perforations.
 6. A touch pad as claimed in claim 5, in which the adjacent perforations are vertically offset.
 7. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1, in which each contact cable is provided with a rib on its side facing the striker plate by means of which pressure on the striker plate is transmitted to the cable contacts.
 8. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finish wall of a swimming pool, the pad having supporting members connected to lateral carriers to form a grating, means for fixing said grating to said finish wall, a perforated striker plate loosely inserted into guide means of said lateral carriers for displacement in a direction perpendicular to said finish wall, and contact cables mounted on said supporting channels between said striker plates and said finish wall, said cables enclosing conductors which normally are separated from each other but adapted to come into contact with each other under the action of pressure excerted onto the contact cables by said striker plate when the same is moved towards said finish wall.
 9. A touch pad as claimed in claim 8, in which the carriers are formed as guides such as U-shaped rails for the lateral edges of the striker plate.
 10. A touch pad as claimed in claim 9, in which the carriers are provided with holders engaging in an overflow channel of the pool.
 11. A touch pad as claimed in claim 8, in which the striker plate is retained in said lateral carriers with clearance at right angles to the plane of the finish wall, the lower corners of said striker plate being supported at the lower ends of said lateral carriers and the striker plate being mounted for removal from said carriers upwardly.
 12. A touch pad as claimed in claim 11, in which the carriers are provided with holders engaging over the pool edge behind the finish area where they are anchored.
 13. A touch pad as claimed in claim 12, in which the holders and carriers together form an elastically deformable system, which in the mounted State is elastically tensioned such that the carriers are retained in contact with the finish wall.
 14. A touch pad as claimed in claim 13, in which the holders are screwed to holding plates which are mounted on the edge of the pool.
 15. A touch pad for swimming competitions, adapted to be mounted on the finish wall of a swimming pool, comprising a perforated striker plate mounted in lateral carrier means for limited displacement in a direction perpendicular to said finish wall, switch means supported by said carrier means in contact with the rear surface of said striker plate for actuation by said plate, holding means on said lateral carrier means, said holding means being adapted to engage over the pool edge behind the finish wall for anchorage, said carrier and holding means being angularly disposed so that in an initial unloaded state of said pad a fist angle is formed between therebetween and in a mounted state of said pad the angle formed between said carrier means and holding means is changed by prestress and elastic deformation, the carrier means being thereby urged against and retained in close contact with the finish wall. 